JAGUARS HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18
(On being at Episcopal for training camp) “My hat’s off to Episcopal for letting us come out here and invade their space a little bit. Also to our grounds crew to put these fields down and really a lot of work and a lot of man-hours went into getting us over here from the busses every day, just the timing of everything. I just can’t say enough good things about this situation. The guys have really enjoyed it, getting away from our building a little bit and outside. It’s been really good, and we’ve been really fortunate to have this.”
(On Rams DT Aaron Donald) “First off, a tremendous football player, got a lot of respect for him and love watching guys like him because he works so hard on his craft, and he’s just a tremendous athlete. It’s hard. You definitely have to have a plan going into that game and sometimes your basic protection rules don’t exist and things like that. You’re trying to put four hands on him if possible. Sometimes you’re going to have to block him one-on-one. It just comes down to that. You try to get the ball out of your quarterback’s hands particularly on third down, and you try to have success running the football and whatever you can do to try to slow things down. You can’t eliminate him but try to slow him down the best you can. It’s fun when you play players of that caliber, to scheme against players like that, obviously to watch them play. You just hope that he doesn’t wreck the game as he did in the Super Bowl this year.”
(On Malcom Brown) “We’ve got some ascending players, quite honestly, that have really caught our attention, caught our eye, some nice competition there with Izzy [Antwine] and Jay [Tufele], some of the other moves we can do, so it’s a tough decision obviously. We’ve done this before, but Malcom was great for this team, great for the room, great leadership here for the time he was here, and we wish him well. Now it’s an opportunity he can go get picked up by another team.”
(On how long he thinks it takes any defense team to adjust to a new system) “I don’t think it’s just the defense, I think the offense, the quarterbacks, timing, and skill, and all that can take some time. It’s not, even though this team has been build around 3-4, there are some nuances in it in plays like a four down front and you’re moving parts around. You’ve got Travon [Walker] and Josh [Allen] who stay left and right. They don’t necessarily trade sides. You’ve got your inside backers who go left and right, and so understanding formations. Some 3-4 teams flip those outside and inside guys, so they’re strong and weak. It has some consistency that way. That’s one thing about our scheme here and what Mike (DC Mike Caldwell) has brought is that they can stay on that one side and learn that one side, but again, the tight end could be to them, the tight end could be away, then some details of where the front needs to be set and the run lanes and run fits and where the safeties need to be set, and a lot of that takes time with the details and practice of everything.”
(On if we can expect the defense to get better as the season goes along) “I think so, yeah. The more they get used to each other, the more time on the grass, whether that’s walk through or practice, just being around each other, you can only get better. Training camp, too, you’re playing so many guys, so many and so many guys in and out of the lineup. You’re trying to see everybody and make evaluations on everybody. A great example: Walker Little and Jawaan Taylor—when Walker missed time due to injury, Walker took all the reps, we saw daily improvement with Walker. It’s no different with an entire unit, right? The more time they spend together and get all the reps, meaning the regular season, that’s when you start seeing the real drastic improvements. Are you a final product in September? No. You want to be a final product toward the end of the season.”
(On players who will not be available for Saturday’s game and playing time) “From a playing standpoint, I definitely want to see the starters go into the second quarter again this week. The defense needs to be on the field a little bit more. They’ve played well the first two games, they just haven’t played enough. So I definitely want to see them play a little bit more. Offensively, if we can do the things we did last week and sort out some of the execution things, yeah, into the second quarter. As far as guys that are going to miss, James Robinson who has been practicing lately, he’s obviously going to be out. Devin Lloyd is going to miss the game. Will Richardson is going to miss the game. BT, Badara, is going to miss. Darious Williams is obviously going to miss. I think that’s it.”
(On Darious Williams’s progress) “Still cautious. You’re still not there from a timing standpoint from surgery, and it’s a shoulder, so you’ve got to be careful with that, especially with defensive backs making contact, all the different moving parts with shoulders and different things, so still going to be cautious. He’s doing extremely well. Same way with James, kind of in that same situation. We are right at that mark where they’re almost there, but we still need a few more days.”
(On what it’s like to see guys like RB James Robinson coming back from injury and making plays) “It’s exciting for us as a staff. Other than him running on the side, we haven’t really seen him play football other than watching tape from last year. So we’re excited to get him back. Our defense though, didn’t really realize that he had that orange jersey, and they were supposed to not hit him. It was good to see him make some of those moves and cuts, again, trying to progress him slowly back into work.”
(On if when RB James Robinson returns it will be a full release) “I don’t think you go full steam ahead. I think you gradually increase his reps. You don’t want to stress his body, but at the same time, he needs to get enough work where he’s possibly ready to go for Washington if that’s the case. It’s kind of the expectation, the hope, that he can be there at that point, and if not, listen, it’s okay. We’re comfortable with the guys behind him, and we’ll go with what we have.”
(On if RB James Robinson is progressing faster than expected early on) “It is tricky with the type of injury that he had. I’ve been around offensive lineman that have had the same injury that have bounced back fast, and other guys it takes a little time, but I think in his case, he’s on track, but again, we have to be smart as a staff, medically, coaches, to make sure we don’t have any setbacks at this time.”
(On the large number of players suffering from the heat in yesterday’s practice) “I just think it was warm yesterday. I think it was in the 67 percentile as far as humidity goes. I’m a meteorologist now. (laughter) It was warm yesterday, and also coming off a day off. We’ve seen that this year. When you get a day off and come back and work. The guys do a good job of taking care of their bodies. They understand. We’re playing in the heat and humidity, and at one o’clock on Sunday afternoons at the bank, so we’ve got to prepare for that.”
(On what he needs to see from right tackle) “It’s an interesting battle. I think this game will be important for both players. I like how Jawaan (OL Jawaan Taylor) is coming off of injury, how he played last week, how he’s practicing. Walker (OL Walker Little) has done an outstanding job as well, so it’s interesting for us. We’re kind of in a good spot with it because you can kind of go either way and the other guy can be the swing tackle or whatever. I think this week will be important and even when we go to Atlanta and practice in Atlanta will be another good opportunity for both of them.”
(On how important the joint practices are) “It’s good for us to get out of here and go somewhere hotter and practice at one o’clock in the afternoon. It does give you a chance to evaluate. It’s game-like scenarios, but under a controlled environment. Coach Arthur Smith and I have talked and discussed and kind of put a plan together for the days that we’re going to work. That’s the thing about it. We’ve got to go up there and get work done. They’re going to do the same thing. The starters get quite a bit of time in those two days. It’s good, and really, too, there’s camaraderie there. Our players know their players and vice-versa. We’ve got friends on staff just like they do, so it’ll be good to get up there.”
(On if there will be any live practicing in Atlanta) “No. No live. Everything will be thud, tap off. We’ll go pads one day, and we’ll be in shells the next.”
(On improvements for RB Travis Etienne) “Big strides, big improvement. When you don’t get a lot of time or you miss time, those are the things that can kind of slip and need the most work, but he’s done a good job in protection. He’s got really good vision when he has to go left to right with his eyes, he’s in a position to block either a nickel DB or linebacker, then utilizing him out of the backfield. You saw it Monday night at that practice and yesterday and how we used him a little bit, and of course the familiarity with Trevor (QB Trevor Lawrence) really helps.”
(On preventing brawls in the joint practices, as has been seen recently in other teams) “It’s unfortunate. We as a team, as an organization, we enjoy practicing against another team. You do get some good work in that controlled environment. We’re there to work, and that’s the communication to the team for me. Making sure and understanding that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get better as a football team, and there’s no place for fighting. We know it’s hot, and these guys are busting their tails, but we do the best that we can to communicate that with them, and we don’t want any setbacks, injuries, broken hands in those cases.”
(On if coaches evaluate players differently when they are going against players they are less familiar with) “It’s a little of both. Even though we’re going against each other, there should be some more anticipation, especially on the offensive and defensive line, of the anticipation of where the d-lineman is going or the anticipation of where the offensive lineman is going, you want to be able to see that, get off the ball. Even receivers and DBs, knowing. It’s like having your own scouting report every day out here, but again when you go against another opponent, you’re just trying to see the details and the fundamentals of your coaching, how that translates to another football team. We see a certain style of defense every day. Our defense sees a certain style of offense every day. It’ll be good to go against two different, unique styles to kind of gauge where the guys are and how much they’ve retained of their coaching.”
(On if he thinks he is sometimes better off taking younger guys to develop over veterans with less time left) “It’s a fine line. It just depends on where you are at that position and what you need at that position. Obviously if a veteran player is the guy and capable of continuing on then you probably may want to lean toward that. Listen, this league is a young league, and it’s getting younger, and giving a young guy the opportunity to take the bulk of the reps during the course of the season, just knowing that he’s going to get better as the season goes on.”
JAGUARS OLB TRAVON WALKER
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2022
(On how it has felt getting preseason game action rather than just practice) “It feels good to just get out there on the field with guys who have been in the NFL and new rookies as well, just get in an NFL game.”
(On if his play gives him confidence) “I definitely have. I haven’t played too many snaps, but just from those beginning snaps I get early in the game, I’m really thinking to myself I can go a whole game against these guys.”
(On the importance of playing deeper into the second quarter in this week’s game) “Definitely, just to get the chemistry down especially amongst the front seven with two things we do up front, and I definitely think that it’s going to play a big part with the transition going into the regular season.”
(On how this training camp compares to others that he has been in from high school and college) “It’s definitely still a grind, but coming from the University of Georgia, they definitely prepared me for it. Like at the University of Georgia you’re in full pads every day, and here you might get shells here a day, full pads two days back-to-back, nothing too crazy. It’s definitely been a grind though.”
(On playing close to home next week) “For me it’s very big. I’m from the state of Georgia. I know a lot of my hometown will be at the game. It’s really going to mean a lot for me just for my hometown people, younger kids to be able to come to the games. They’re getting a bus together to the game just to see. It means a lot to me to be able to put on a show and just show them the right way.”
(On if any family members are going to come to practices) “I don’t think so.”
(On if he organized any of the buses to the game) “I didn’t. That’s something that my community does. I have a strong community. Everybody for something like that, they’ll do it for the kids, they’ll do it for themselves as well.”
(On the heat at training camp vs. the game day heat at 1 PM in Georgia) “Definitely not (comparable to team camp heat), but one thing I can say about the heat down here is it’s definitely a lot more humid. It’s a lot more dry (in Georgia). It makes it harder to breathe, to catch your breath. That’s something that just comes with the game.”
(On the value of joint practices) “For me, it just boosts up the competition a lot more to be able to go against, it’s basically like a game but in a practice setting, so I’ll just be able to take some things that I would do in a game and work it on another offense.”
(On if he was a Falcons fan growing up) “I was a Falcons fan, but I really wasn’t. I just went for the Falcons because that’s my hometown team.”
(On if he won’t know if he’s conditioned enough until the first game on September 11) “Most definitely. That’s just something that comes with it. Practice is supposed to be harder than a game, so I’m expecting to come into the game in pretty good shape though. So I can say just continue to come out here and grind and it will all pay off in a game.”
(On if he feels like he is on a good trajectory of where he wants to be) “Definitely. I still have a lot of work to do, and I’m just going to continue to go from here.”
(On if he is excited to see LB Devin Lloyd play) “I’m definitely ready to see Devin. He’s my locker mate, so we talk about it every day. He just talks about how anxious he is to get back out here on the field and be with the guys. I’m ready to see it for him. In college he was a great player, and I’m ready to see what he’s learned while he’s been out and how it translates onto the field.”
(On if it is a relief to know he has one job to work on) “Definitely, that was my main goal coming in, that all they wanted me to do is just focus on this one position. Once I get everything down, the game of football, I already have that. Everything comes along with just knowing my one position.”
(On anything he struggles with) “One thing for me I’d have to say is my pad, just playing with good pad level. I’m a tall guy, and sometimes once I do a move or something, make an inside move or whatever, I’ll be too high, so I try to get myself right with my pad level.”
(On how OLB Josh Allen has helped his game) “Josh has been a great mentor to me. He’s been one of those guys that has been there ever since I got drafted. The first night I got drafted he shot me a text just congratulating me and ever since I got here he took me under his wing and taught me everything that he knows and a little bit more, so I’m very grateful for him.”
